Rabia Iclal Turan
21 August 2025•Update: 21 August 2025
WASHINGTON
The US State Department has dismissed its top press officer for Israeli-Palestinian affairs following internal disputes over official statements on Gaza, according to a report published Wednesday.
The Washington Post said that Shahed Ghoreishi’s dismissal came after disagreements over how to describe Trump administration policies, including a controversial plan to relocate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip -- a proposal critics have condemned as ethnic cleansing.
The Post reported that Ghoreishi drafted language for a statement saying: “We do not support forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.” The State Department’s leadership rejected the line, instructing staff to “cut the line marked in red and clear,” it reported, citing a memo.
Ghoreishi told the Post he was not given an explanation for his firing and argued the language he recommended for the media echoed previous statements by Trump administration officials, including special envoy Steve Witkoff, who said in February that the US would not pursue an “eviction plan” for Gaza.
“Despite a strong reputation and close working relationship with many of my colleagues, I was unable to survive these disputes,” he said.
The disputes followed earlier clashes over whether to include condolences for Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif and other reporters killed by Israel in Gaza on Aug. 10, which senior officials also blocked, the Post said.
Ghoreishi reportedly recommended a line saying: “We mourn the loss of journalists and express condolences to their families.” But the State Department’s leadership objected in an Aug. 10 email, saying: “No response is needed. We can’t be sending out condolences if we are unsure of this individual’s actions.”
According to the report, a key opponent of Ghoreishi inside the department was David Milstein, a senior adviser to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Officials familiar with the matter told the Post that Milstein frequently confronted colleagues in defense of Israeli government positions and sought to expand his influence well beyond his formal role.
Responding to Anadolu, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said: “We do not comment on leaked emails or allegations.”
“The Department has zero tolerance for employees who commit misconduct by leaking or otherwise disclosing confidential deliberative emails or information. Federal employees should never put their personal political ideologies ahead of the duly elected President’s agenda,” he added.
